Melamine resin foam

Light and Quiet

Melamine resin foam

Basotect, a melamine resin foam from BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany, provides the right sound in the engine compartment of the Porsche Panamera Diesel. The foam is used as sound absorber and thermal insulating material in the engine compartment, transmission tunnel and paneling near the engine of the four-seater Gran Turismo. In addition to the foam’s good acoustic properties and high thermal resistance, it was chiefly the low weight which caught the attention of developers from the Stuttgart-based maker of sporty premium vehicles. Basotect provides sound insulation in cars wherever there are high operating temperatures over an extended period, such as the separating walls between the engine compartment and the car interior, engine hood paneling, engine proximity shells, and transmission tunnels.

Basotect is notable for its extraordinary acoustic properties. By virtue of its open-cell, fine foam structure, it offers very good sound absorption values in the medium and high frequency range. Driver and passengers in the Panamera can therefore enjoy the typical sound of a Porsche engine - without annoying accompanying noise. With a density of 9 kg/m3, Basotect is lighter than conventional insulating materials commonly used in engine paneling. This reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

The foam’s very high thermal resistance also played an important role in its selection as material. Basotect offers long-term thermal resistance of over 200°C. The engine compartment of the Panamera is regularly exposed to temperatures of up to 180°C generated by the 184 kW/250 hp six-cylinder diesel engine. The foam withstands these extreme conditions.